St. Jude's Parish & Sunday School
372 Genevieve Street K6A 2M1 Hawkesbury, ON, Canada

This week's homily, Spotify playlist and bulletin are now available on www.stjudesparish2020.com. Despite diminished audio quality due to changes within the Facebook application, Masses will continue to be live-streamed here until we set up new equipment - maybe by next weekend. At that point the Mass will be on YouTube; watch this space for the new address. Get ready for improved video and much improved audio!

This week's homily is now available at www.stjudesparish2020.com. Our condolences to the family of Céline Demers who passed away on 1 November. The deadline for Mass intentions is now Thursday at noon, to permit accurate and timely production of the bulletin. Please consider dropping off tabs from pop cans in the container at the entrance to the church; Ron McMillan collects them for the "As Need Fund" of the Cancer Clinic of the General Hospital. The kind folks at canadahelps .org provided us the following link; using it reduces the transaction fee: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/53990

This week's homily is now available on www.stjudesparish2020.com. In other news, the Vatican is extending the plenary indulgence for the whole month of November: let's empty purgatory of souls. Donations can now be made through canadahelps.org. The page is https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/53990. There will be an extra Mass on Monday, 2 November at 11:00 AM for All Souls' Day. Fr. Rick will begin weekly visits to St. Jude's school with a Mass on 5 November.

Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude October 28, 2020 Fr. Rick Lorenz Eph 2:19-22 Ps 19... Lk 6:12-19 Today is the Feast of St. Simon and St. Jude. We don't know a lot about St. Jude. Some proposed that he wrote the Epistle of St. Jude, but biblical scholars aren't convinced. Others hold that he is the cousin of Jesus, but they're not sure about that either. We do know that he is the patron of lost causes and impossible situations. Barry Mullin tells me that his aunt suggested him as patron of the parish since it seemed so unlikely to establish an English parish in a French area. We turn to him in our needs and necessities. We do know that he spoke at the Last Supper. He asked "Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world (Jn 14:22)?" In other words, "why do you reveal yourself to us in your power and glory and not to every individual in the world?" After all, that would achieve the conversion of the world without great difficulty. I think this question arose before he began his ministry. After his baptism, when he went to the wilderness, he was tempted by Satan three times. He was hungry, and offered the power to turn a stone into bread. But he said, "Man does not live by bread alone." However, he did later multiply the loaves and fishes. He was taken to the Temple, and offered the power to jump off and be borne by angels. This would impress the Jews who would proclaim him to be the Messiah. But he said, "You shall not tempt the Lord." However, he did later cure the sick and raise the dead. Then he was taken to a high mountain, and offered power over all dominions and authorities. He could compel conversion without having to offer himself as sacrifice. But he said, "Get behind me Satan." Conversion has to be freely chosen. Jesus established the Church and sent the apostles to the ends of the earth, to offer each one they met the opportunity to love him. He described the choice to St. Jude: "If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word which you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me (Jn 14:23-24)." St. Jude's parish faces a choice as well. Our expenses are about $2000/week. Our Lady of Divine Love parish gives $225/week. Our donations are about $1250/week. This leaves a shortfall of about $525/week. The parish will have to choose to increase donations for us to continue to flourish, to gather, to receive the sacraments. But through the intercession of St. Jude, we put our trust in God. He works in mysterious ways. Today we received an Interac eTransfer of $500 from a lady in Cambridge, ON who was giving thanks to St. Jude for prayers answered. For this Eucharist, we put our trust in God.

Find this week's homily on www.stjudesparish2020.com. If you want a tax receipt or refund from the cancelled St. Patrick's Day dinner, please contact the parish office. Next weekend we will set out the Book of Remembrance for November, as well as a table for your icons of your favourite saints for All Saints' Day. Interac eTransfer is now available, and we're finishing testing canadahelps.org.

Find this week's homily on www.stjudesparish2020.com. While you're there, read about Interac eTransfer, which is now available for your donations to St. Jude's Parish! Pre-authorized debit and canadahelps.org are coming soon. Also, remember to start your novena to St. Jude this Tuesday; you can find it at on the website.